Container car



1366- 1964 D. WILLISON ETAL CONTAINER CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Filed Sept. 8, 1961 INVENTOR DONALD WILL/501V EW/IZD 6 W/NZN BY J ATT0KNE Y I United States Patent Ofifice 3,l fihj l? ?atented Dec. 8, 1954 3,163,117 QGNTALNER CAR Donald Willison, Lyndhurst, and Ewnitl C. Windt, Sagamore Hills, Ohio, assignors to National Castings Company Filed Sept. 8, Hal, Ser. No. 136,825 8 Claims. (Ql. lllS-d) This invention relates to a mechanism permitting a highway truck bed, railway flat car or similar carrier to receive and maintain cargo containers in fixed relationship.

Great interest is currently being demonstrated by the transportation industry in the movement of freight within cargo containers. Various systems have been employed to move these containers from one means of conveyance to another, such as from the highway truck bed to the railway fiat car or ship. On the cargo container carrier itself, a wide variety of devices have been used to position and maintain the container in a preselected position for its journey. The devices used to maintain the containers in a fixed position range from the elaborate structure currently used on ships to maintain the containers in vertical stacks, to simple projection and recess locldng means on highway truck beds. One of the great problems facing the transportation industry in its conversion to the use of cargo containers is the wide range of sizes in which the containers are manufactured. The containers vary in size primarily in their length, not their width. Hence, there exists a need to provide a positioning mechanism that is adapted to accommodate primarily varying lengths of containers. Many of the devices used to maintain containers in a fixed position aboard their carriers are not adapted to handle a wide range of containers that vary in length.

Another consideration is that to be economically practicable it is necessary that the railroad car be adapted to carry more than merely containers. The car should be suitable for other purposes such as the transportation of highway semi-trailers. When a car is built to accon modate two difierent items such as these, there are obviously structural limitations that must be considered when designing a suitable device for positioning the container.

The invention disclosed herein is designed to enable a highway truck bed, railway fiat car or other vehicle to receive and maintain in fixed relationship cargo containers of varied sizes. The retaining means herein disclosed is not only adapted to receive cargo containers of various sizes, but can be moved to an inoperative position that permits the car to be used for the transport of other cargo with a minimum of effort.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a cargo carrier with means for receiving and maintaining cargo containers in fixed relation to the carrier.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a flat bed truck or railway car with retaining means adapted to receive and maintain cargo containers of various sizes in fixed relation with the carrier.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a fiat bed carrier with movable retaining means adapted to be moved to a multiplicity of preselected positions wherein it can receive and maintain cargo containers of various sizes in fixed relation with the carrier.

It is a still more specific object of this invention to provide a railway car with movable retaining means adapted to be moved to a multiplicity of preselected positions wherein it can maintain cargo containers of various sizes in fixed relation with the car without, it interfering with the transport of semi-trailers and similar cargo.

These and other objects of this invention will be more apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a railroad car equipped with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing of the positioning device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing of the positioning device in an upright position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the positioning device;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the positioning device;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the device locked to a fiat car;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the locking leg of the device coupled to the fiat car;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;

A positioning mechanism 2 is shown in FIG. 1 in use on a vehicle, such as the railroad fiat car 4. A container 6 is maintained in fixed relation to the fiat car by the mechanism 2 which comprises four positioning devices 13 engaging the four lower corners of the container, and anchoring apparatus 5 to which the devices 13 are swingably attached. The anchoring apparatus includes as a guide means for shifting the devices longitudinally of the car, a rod 12 on each side of the car, a plurality of brackets 16 spaced in a longitudinal direction of the rod which are upstanding with respect to an upwardly extending side or rub rail '7 of the car platform iii. In FIG. 2, one of the positioning devices is shown in greater detail in a load-supporting position.

Referring to FIG. 2, the device l3 comprises a T- haped abutment lug 8 integral with, and forming a portion of a plate portion 16 which supports the container on the bottom thereof. The plate portion 19 has a split ring 14 by which it is pivotally mounted on the rod 12 which extends along the side of the car along its entire length. The rod is disposed above the platform at a level spaced by the rub rail 7 and the bracket 16 from the platform. As one form of bearing-journal means for connecting a device 13 to guide means therefor, such as the rail 7 and the rod 12, the device 13 is mounted on the rod 12 by means of a split ring 14 which permits support bracket 3.6 to be avoided when the device is moved longitudinally along the rod 12 to a new position. To move the device along the longitudinal am's of the rod 12, the operator merely grasps the handle portion 1'7 and pulls upwardly after having disengaged the leg 18 from its recess 46 in the platform 29 of the fiat car, and rotates the plate about rod 12 until it assumes the position shown in FIG. 3. In this upward position the opening 21 in the ring 14 is in registry with the support bracket 16 thus permitting the device to be moved along the longitudinal axis of the rod 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the plate portion it) is supported with its upper load-receiving surface generally parallel (see PEG. 7) to the upper surface of the platform 20. It is further obvious that the plate portion id is supported along one side by the rod 12 and the rub rail '7 on which it is shown resting, and on the other side by the leg 13 seated on the upper surface of the platform 20. As further indicated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the leg 18 is hinged with respect to the horizontal member of the plate portion 1% along an axis generally parallel to that of its hinge-joint with the rod 12.

When it is desired to move the device to an operative location on the carrier, it is moved while in the upward position as shown in FIG. 3, to the preselected location on the carrier. When in the preselected location, the device is rotated about the rod 12 until the leg 13 is inserted into a complemental recess as in the car or truck bed as shown in FIG. 4 to bring into play detent means for fixing the position of the device relative to the length of the platform of which part is incorporated in the device 13 and part is incorporated within the anchor apparatus 5 in fixed relation with the platform. The detent means operate as follows. As the device is rotated downwardly, a projection 22 on the car disposed adjacent to the rod 12 passes into eachcomplemental recess 24 of the plate in registry therewith. The projections'22 and therecesses 24 are substantially equidistant from the axis of the rod 12 to enable such registry. The complemental engagement of projections 22 with recesses 24in the plate locks the device 13 into fixed horizontal relationship with the car or truck. By placing the projections 22 along. the length of the carrier, a positioning device may be so located as to accommodate any length of container. With the devices supporting the container above the platform or floor of the car, it is thereby possible to place other structure, such as means for holding highway trailers in position during transit, on the car to adapt the car for a multiplicity of purposes. As hereinafter described, additional or second detent means for locking the device 13 from-movement longitudinally of the platform resides in pin portions of the legs disposed, when used, in openings 46 of the platform hereinbefore mentioned.

A container is maintained in fixed relation to the car by more than one device abuttingly engaging the lower corners of the container, as is shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a railroad fiat car equipped with the invention. A single positioning device is adapted to abuttingly engage two containers; Hence, four devices are employed to maintain a single container in fixed relation to a fiat car. The leg 18 need not be present in every embodiment of the invention. If the flat car or truck bed were free of interfering projections, then the container could rest directly on the floor 20 with only the T-shaped abutment lug 8 engaging two of the three sides of a container corner. This embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 9. If there are present various constructional members on the carrier floor 20 that would prevent the container from resting directly on the floor, then the positioning device 13 can have an integral plate portion 10 to support the container 6 on the bottom as is shown in FIG. 4. The length of the leg 18, which would also be required, would be determined by the height of the highest constructional member over which the container must be supported. In FIG. 1 constructional member 25 of the car prevents the container from being placed directly on the floor, hence the plate 16 and the leg 18 were added to the device to'raise the container above the level of member 25.

The device as illustrated is adapted to lock 2. container or load article in fixed relation to a truck bed or support article. If the corner of the container. permits, means may be provided on the h1g8 or plate 10 to lock the container from movement in a vertical directionto-the positioning mechanism. Any known means'may be employed to secure the containertothe lug 8 or plate 10 and is deemed to'be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. In FIGJZ there is shown a recess 29 through'which rod-like locking means can be inserted or mounted which can cooperate with the container to maintain the two ,in fixed relation. The leg 18 can take a number of forms but the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8 is the preferred embodiment.

The device 13 as shown comprises detent means-or locking mechanism for securing it in load-receiving position to the floor 20. Referring to FIG. 7, the leg 18 comprises the main support member 30 and projections which extend below the lower platform-engaging surface of the member 30, such as the two rotatable locks 32 mounted in openings 33 of the member 30. The locks 32 have a handle portion 36, a shaft .portion 38, anda locking lug 40 integral with the shaft 38. The lug 49 projects outwardly from the main shaft 38, as shown in FIG. 7. In operation, before disconnecting the leg from the floor 20 it is first necessary to rotate cover plate 42 as shown in FIG. 7 on its support pin 44 to free the handles 36. The e f ha iS 1 611 ro a ed outwardly approximately as shown in FIG. 8. This rotation of the handle 36 permits lug 40 to be rotated from its locking position beneath floor 20, as shown in FIG. 7, to a position in which the lug 40 is in vertical registry with one of a plurality of openings 46 arranged in a row in the platform 20 parallel to the rod'12. With the handles 36 in an outward projecting position, the leg 18 may be moved from its lower engagingposition to the upper ambulatory position shown in FIG. 3. In this upper position the device may be moved longitudinally along the rod 12.

The positioning mechanism herein disclosed is a distinct advance in the art in that it provides positioning and securing means for a railroad car or similar carrier that can be employed with a wide variety of container sizes. Prior art structures have lacked the flexibility to accommodate varying sizes of containers on a single carrier.

The terms and expressionswhich have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereof as fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo container carrying vehicle including a platform and mechanism for horizontally positioning cargo containers at a'levelv above the platform comprising:

(A) guide means extending lengthwise of the vehicle along opposite sides of the platform and having a longitudinal pivot axis disposed above the platform adjacent said level;

(B) a container-supporting device comprising a plate portion connected in hinged longitudinally-slidable relation with the guide means, and a leg joining the plate portion in pivotal relation therewith along an axis generally parallel to the guide means and in spaced relation withthe guide means;

said. guide means and the device comprising bearing-and-journal means concentric tosaid. pivotal axis along which a component of the bearingand-journal means on the devices is .slidable relative'to a bearing-and-journal meanscomponent on the guide means,

the device, in load-supporting position, having an upwardly-facing load-receiving surface of the plate portion disposed in a plane extending in generally parallel, spaced relation to the platform, an abutment projecting upwardly from said surface, and the leg extending downwardly from the plate portion to engage the platform and thereby support the plate portion;

(C) .first detent means fixed tothe platform incoextending parallel relation with the .guide means;

'(D) .second detent means on'the device; bothdetent means being substantially equally spaced from the rod axis and complementally shaped for passage of one into the other as the devices are rotated from an upward position to said load-supporting position, both of said detent means being disengageable at said upward position of the device relative to theguide means and freeing the device for movementlengthwise of the guide means.

2. The vehicle of claiml wherein:

the platform guide means comprises a rod extending lengthwise of the platform supported by upstanding brackets spaced lengthwise of the rodyand 'the'plate portion comprises a split ring disposed around said rod and having an opening for passage of said brackets therethrough at said upward position of the device.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

said leg folds inwardly toward the underside of the plate portion.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the legis connected in, hinged relation with the plate portion along an axis parallel to the rod; and

the normally lower end portion of the leg and the platform have complementary a vertically extending recess and a projection disposed in the recess to positively position the leg at the load-supporting position of the device. 1 g

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein;

the detent means of the platform comprises a row of projections disposed in spaced parallel relation with the guide means; and

the detent means of the plate member comprises surfaces defining at least one recess in the plate member in which one of said projections is received at said load-supporting position.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the platform has spaced openings arranged in a row parallel to the guide means spaced from the guide means in registry with various positions of the leg at said load-supporting position of the device; and

the leg comprises a lock projecting from a lower end surface of the leg adapted for projecting into one of said platform openings, said lock when disposed therein being rotatable about a generally vertical axis to dispose a lower lug of the lock directly underneath an undersurface of the platform; said lock having an operating handle disposed above the platform.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 comprising:

rail means for supporting said guide means having a surface engaging the underside of said plate memher in said load-supporting position.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

said guide means comprises a rub rail extending lengthwise of the platform for engaging trailer cars, a rod spaced above and coextensive with the rub rail, and upstanding brackets attached to the rub rail for supporting the rod;

said plate portion comprises a split ring disposed around said rod, the ring having an opening for passage of said brackets therethrough; and

said plate resting on said rail along a side thereof adjacent the rod when said device is in its load-supporting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,944 Hankins et al. Jan. 22, 1935 2,092,439 Owens May 21, 1935 2,099,288 Allen Nov, 16, 1937 2,916,238 Fahland Dec. 8, 1959 3,085,518 Szczepanik Apr. 16, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,094,650 France Dec. 8, 1954 

1. A CARGO CONTAINER CARRYING VEHICLE INCLUDING A PLATFORM AND MECHANISM FOR HORIZONTALLY POSITIONING CARGO CONTAINERS AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE PLATFORM COMPRISING: (A) GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE VEHICLE ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLATFORM AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PIVOT AXIS DISPOSED ABOVE THE PLATFORM ADJACENT SAID LEVEL; (B) A CONTAINER-SUPPORTING DEVICE COMPRISING A PLATE PORTION CONNECTED IN HINGED LONGITUDINALLY-SLIDABLE RELATION WITH THE GUIDE MEANS, AND A LEG JOINING THE PLATE PORTION IN PIVOTAL RELATION THEREWITH ALONG AN AXIS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE GUIDE MEANS AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE GUIDE MEANS; SAID GUIDE MEANS AND THE DEVICE COMPRISING BEARING-AND-JOURNAL MEANS CONCENTRIC TO SAID PIVOTAL AXIS ALONG WHICH A COMPONENT OF THE BEARINGAND-JOURNAL MEANS ON THE DEVICES IS SLIDABLE RELATIVE TO A BEARING-AND-JOURNAL MEANS COMPONENT ON THE GUIDE MEANS, THE DEVICE, IN LOAD-SUPPORTING POSITION, HAVING AN UPWARDLY-FACING LOAD-RECEIVING SURFACE OF THE PLATE PORTION DISPOSED IN A PLANE EXTENDING IN GENERALLY PARALLEL, SPACED RELATION TO THE PLATFORM, AN ABUTMENT PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID SURFACE, AND THE LEG EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PLATE PORTION TO ENGAGE THE PLATFORM AND THEREBY SUPPORT THE PLATE PORTION; (C) FIRST DETENT MEANS FIXED TO THE PLATFORM IN COEXTENDING PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE GUIDE MEANS; (D) SECOND DETENT MEANS ON THE DEVICE; BOTH DETENT MEANS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED FROM THE ROD AXIS AND COMPLEMENTALLY SHAPED FOR PASSAGE OF ONE INTO THE OTHER AS THE DEVICES ARE ROTATED FROM AN UPWARD POSITION TO SAID LOAD-SUPPORTING POSITION, BOTH OF SAID DETENT MEANS BEING DISENGAGEABLE AT SAID UPWARD POSITION OF THE DEVICE RELATIVE TO THE GUIDE MEANS AND FREEING THE DEVICE FOR MOVEMENT LENGTHWISE OF THE GUIDE MEANS. 